Meet Team GB diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, daughter of First Dates Fred Sirieix, who is going to Tokyo 2020

ANDREA Spendolini-Sirieix is the superstar diver gunning for a medal at Tokyo 2020.

The 16-year-old was crowned BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2020 and is part of a 12-person diving squad desperate for Olympic glory.

PAAndrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 16, is part of Team GB’s Olympic diving squad[/caption]

BBCThe athlete is also the daughter of First Dates star Fred Sirieix[/caption]

Ambitious Andrea also has a famous father who can’t wait to see his daughter perform at the highest level in First Dates star Fred Sirieix.

Sadly for the maître d’hotel, overseas spectators aren’t allowed inside the stadiums and arenas because of the coronavirus pandemic, so he won’t be able to cheer his daughter on in the flesh.

However, she is determined to make her mark in the 10m platform event next Wednesday and be defined by her own exploits on the diving board and not as a celebrity daughter.

FOURTH IN THE WORLD

Talented Andrea made her own splash at the FINA Diving World Cup back in May.

She made headlines as she finished fourth in the competition – with her proud father sharing a photo of the family together on social media to celebrate the moment.

But it’s Fred, 49, who also appears on Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip, that has Andrea’s pals talking.

“At school, they go ‘oh my gosh’, or they send pictures like ‘Andrea, this is your dad?’”, she told The Independent.

EPAAt the FINA Diving World Cup Spendolini-Sirieix finished an impressive fourth[/caption]

HandoutFred Sirieix is a maître d’hotel and famous for Channel 4 show First Dates[/caption]

“And I go, ‘yeah, it is’. But when people go ‘oh your dad is a celebrity’, I go, ‘oh no he’s not, he’s just my dad’.

“It doesn’t really affect my opinion of him at all. I’m so proud of what he does and he worked really hard to get where he is now.

“My dad and I have different fields; my dad is on TV and I jump off a diving board. My dad tried it – he can tell you it’s not the easiest thing.

WANTS A MEDAL

Andrea, who is fluent in three languages (English, French, and Italian), isn’t going to Tokyo just to make up the numbers. She wants to bring medal home.

“Since I started my journey as an athlete, I always wanted to go to the Olympics, it was a big dream, and that that will never change,” she revealed.

“I’m going with an open mind.

“Of course I want to medal, of course I want to do the best that I can do, but I want to show and I want to broadcast to everyone that I want to be the best, I can work hard to try and be the best and I’m so excited for this experience and I’m really, really happy.”

Instagram@andreassirieix04Spendolini-Sirieix, pictured as a kid, is desperate to bring back a medal from Tokyo 2020[/caption]

GettySpendolini-Sirieix, centre, will be competing in the 10m platform event[/caption]

BEAMING FRED

Appearing on GMB last month, Fred couldn’t hide his delight at his daughter’s opportunity.

But he was disappointed he won’t be able to attend the Olympics.

“It’s so exciting, we are so proud of her, she is working so hard,” he said.

“It’s only 31 days until the start of the Olympics. The sad thing is that nobody can go with her because there are no spectators allowed.

“Last year when the Olympics were supposed to take place I had all the time booked.

“And then it was cancelled and postponed to this year. We all had the time off to support Andrea this year but sadly nobody’s allowed.

GettySadly for Sirieix he won’t be able to see his daughter in action in the flesh at Tokyo 2020[/caption]

“But it’s for the best. At the end of the day it’s about the athletes and allowing them to compete in the sports they have chosen.

“Only a month and half ago she was in the World Cup in Japan with Team GB and then they went straight to Budapest for the European Championships, where they did very well.

“So it was a great preparation. Now it’s a dream come true for her.”

SUCCESS RUNS IN THE FAMILY

If having a TV star and an Olympic athlete in the family isn’t enough, Fred’s brother is also a man of some repute.

Pierre Lao-Sirieix is the director of AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company who developed a vaccine for Covid-19.

“I love my uncle so much and I’m so proud of what he’s doing,” she divulged.

TwitterFred Sirieix’s brother Pierre is the director for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca who developed a vaccine for Covid-19[/caption]

“He’s so great, so smart as well.

“But I haven’t talked to him personally because I haven’t seen him in a really long time.”

With success running in the Sirieix family, don’t rule out Andrea achieving her goal to bring back a medal.